Bangalore: A week ago, a security guard at the automated teller machine of a bank was arrested on charges of taking away over Rs. 6 lakhs from the ATM's cash chest using a password he had allegedly stolen, and with outside help. The week before that, a jeweller's assistant going on a motorcycle with a bag full of cash was waylaid and robbed.

Each year, close to 100 cases of people being relieved of the cash they withdraw from ATMs are reported.

There are more cases of those going to a bank's branch to deposit large amount of cash being robbed.

At a meeting held last week with senior executives of a major nationalised bank, senior police officers suggested that bank managers should caution customers, usually businessmen, regularly on depositing and withdrawing large amounts. The customers should be advised to change the timing of their visits to the bank so that there are less chances of someone keeping track of them.

During salary payment days, when large amounts are often withdrawn by employees, there should be more precautions taken by bank security staff themselves, police officers said.

The police are known to have asked banks with multiple ATMs, especially of those of the stand-alone type not attached to a bank branch, to take more precautions. These should include thorough checking the background of all ATM security personnel with the help of the police.

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